A power storage adapter may use a peak shift operation method when supplying electrical power from an ac line power source to a portable information handling system and the power storage adapter receives an indication of a peak shift associated with the ac line power source. In particular, the power storage adapter may cease drawing power from the ac line power source and begin supplying electrical power from a battery included with the power storage adapter to the portable information handling system.
|
1. A power storage adapter (psa), comprising:
a psa port;
a psa battery; and
a psa controller having access to memory media storing instructions executable by the psa controller to:
receive, at a first time, an indication of a peak shift associated with an alternating current (ac) line power source, the indication specifying that the power storage adapter is to cease drawing electrical power from the ac line power source, the indication additionally indicating a further time period when an additional peak shift is to occur;
determine that a state of charge of the psa battery is greater than a recharging state of charge;
in response to the indication and when the power storage adapter is electrically connected to the ac line power source, enter a peak shift by electrically disconnecting the power storage adapter from the ac line power source;
determine, after electrically disconnecting the power storage adapter from the ac line power source, that the state of charge of the psa battery is less than the recharging state of charge, and in response, electrically connect the power storage adapter to the ac line power source;
in response to electrically connecting the power storage adapter to the ac line power source, terminate the peak shift of the ac line power source;
at a second time after terminating the peak shift of the ac line power source at the first time and during the further time period indicated by the previously received indication, entering the further peak shift of the ac line power source without receiving a further indication of the additional further peak shift associated with the ac line power source, including:
determine that the state of charge of the psa battery is greater than the recharging state of charge; and
when the power storage adapter is electrically connected to the ac line power source, electrically disconnect the power storage adapter from the ac line power source.
11. A method for peak shift operation, the method comprising:
receiving, at a first time and by a psa controller of a power storage adapter, an indication of a peak shift associated with an ac line power source of the power storage adapter, the indication specifying that the power storage adapter is to cease drawing electrical power from the ac line power source, the indication additionally indicating a further time period when an additional peak shift is to occur;
determining, by the psa controller, that a state of charge of a psa battery of the power storage adapter is greater than a recharging state of charge;
in response to the indication and when the power storage adapter is electrically connected to the ac line power source, entering a peak shift by electrically disconnecting, by the psa controller, the power storage adapter from the ac line power source;
determining, after electrically disconnecting the power storage adapter from the ac line power source, that the state of charge of the psa battery is less than the recharging state of charge, and in response, electrically connect the power storage adapter to the ac line power source;
in response to electrically connecting the power storage adapter to the ac line power source, terminating the peak shift of the ac line power source;
at a second time after terminating the peak shift of the ac line power source at the first time and during the further time period indicated by the previously received indication, entering the further peak shift of the ac line power source without receiving a further indication of the additional further peak shift associated with the ac line power source, including:
determining that the state of charge of the psa battery is greater than the recharging state of charge; and
when the power storage adapter is electrically connected to the ac line power source, electrically disconnecting the power storage adapter from the ac line power source.
2. The power storage adapter of
4. The power storage adapter of
5. The power storage adapter of
receive a second indication of termination of the peak shift; and
in response to the second indication, electrically connect the power storage adapter to the ac line power source.
6. The power storage adapter of
7. The power storage adapter of
8. The power storage adapter of
monitor the state of charge of the psa battery; and
in response to determining that the state of charge is less than or equal to a recharging state of charge, electrically connect the power storage adapter to the ac line power source.
9. The power storage adapter of
10. The power storage adapter of
power off an ac/DC converter included with the power storage adapter.
12. The method of
14. The method of
15. The method of
receiving a second indication of termination of the peak shift; and
in response to the second indication, electrically connecting the power storage adapter to the ac line power source.
16. The method of
17. The method of
18. The method of
monitoring the state of charge of the psa battery; and
in response to determining that the state of charge is less than or equal to a recharging state of charge, electrically connecting the power storage adapter to the ac line power source.
19. The method of
20. The method of
powering off an ac/DC converter included with the power storage adapter.
|
This disclosure relates generally to information handling systems and, more particularly, to a power storage adapter for peak shift operation with a portable information handling system.
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Examples of information handling systems include portable devices such as notebook computers, media players, personal data assistants, digital cameras, cellular phones, cordless phones, smart phones, tablet computers, and 2-in-1 tablet-laptop combination computers. A portable device may generally be any device that a user may carry for handheld use and that includes a processor. Typically, portable devices are powered using a rechargeable battery and include a display device.
In one aspect, a disclosed power storage adapter (PSA) may include a PSA port and a PSA battery. The PSA may also include a PSA controller having access to memory media storing instructions executable by the PSA controller to receive an indication of a peak shift associated with an alternating current (AC) line power source, the indication specifying that the power storage adapter may cease drawing electrical power from the AC line power source. The PSA may further include instructions executable by the PSA controller to determine that a state of charge (SOC) of the PSA battery is greater than a recharging state of charge. The PSA may also include instructions executable by the PSA controller to, in response to the indication and when the power storage adapter is electrically connected to the AC line power source, electrically disconnect the power storage adapter from the AC line power source.
In any of the disclosed embodiments of the PSA, the indication may be a peak shift message from an embedded controller of an information handling system coupled to the PSA port.
In any of the disclosed embodiments of the PSA, the indication may be a peak shift message from an entity associated with the AC line power source, and the peak shift message may be received using an Ethernet port coupled to the PSA port, and the power storage adapter may further include a second PSA port.
In any of the disclosed embodiments of the PSA, the instructions may further include instructions executable by the PSA controller to receive a second indication of termination of the peak shift and in response to the second indication, electrically connect the power storage adapter to the AC line power source.
In any of the disclosed embodiments of the PSA, the indication may further specify a duration of time of the peak shift.
In any of the disclosed embodiments of the PSA, the second indication may be received from an embedded controller of an information handling system coupled to the PSA port.
In any of the disclosed embodiments of the PSA, the instructions may further include instructions executable by the PSA controller to monitor the state of charge of the PSA battery and in response to determining that the state of charge is less than or equal to a recharging state of charge, electrically connect the power storage adapter to the AC line power source.
In any of the disclosed embodiments of the PSA, the PSA controller may utilize a common protocol layer for communication with the information handling system, where the common protocol layer may be a universal serial bus (USB) power delivery protocol layer.
In any of the disclosed embodiments of the PSA, the instructions to electrically disconnect the PSA from the AC line power source may further include instructions to power off an AC/DC converter included with the power storage adapter.
In any of the disclosed embodiments of the PSA, the PSA port may be a USB Type-C port.
In another aspect, a disclosed method for peak shift operation in a power storage adapter with a portable information handling system may include receiving, by a PSA controller of a power storage adapter, an indication of a peak shift associated with an AC line power source of the power storage adapter, the indication specifying that the power storage adapter may cease drawing electrical power from the AC line power source. The method may also include determining, by the PSA controller, that a state of charge (SOC) of a PSA battery of the power storage adapter may be greater than a recharging state of charge. The method may further include, in response to the indication and when the power storage adapter is electrically connected to the AC line power source, electrically disconnecting, by the PSA controller, the power storage adapter from the AC line power source.
In any of the disclosed embodiments of the method, the indication may be a peak shift message from an embedded controller of an information handling system coupled to the PSA port.
In any of the disclosed embodiments of the method, the indication may be a peak shift message from an entity associated with the AC line power source, and the peak shift message may be received using an Ethernet port coupled to the PSA port, and the power storage adapter may further include a second PSA port.
In any of the disclosed embodiments of the method, the method may further include receiving a second indication of termination of the peak shift, and, in response to the second indication, electrically connecting the power storage adapter to the AC line power source.
In any of the disclosed embodiments of the method, the indication may further specify a duration of time of the peak shift.
In any of the disclosed embodiments of the method, the second indication may be received from an embedded controller of an information handling system coupled to the PSA port.
In any of the disclosed embodiments of the method, the method may also include monitoring the state of charge of the PSA battery, and, in response to determining that the state of charge is less than or equal to a recharging state of charge, electrically connecting the power storage adapter to the AC line power source.
In any of the disclosed embodiments of the method, the PSA controller may utilize a common protocol layer for communication with the information handling system, where the common protocol layer may be a universal serial bus (USB) power delivery protocol layer.
In any of the disclosed embodiments of the method, electrically disconnecting the PSA from the AC line power source may further include powering off an AC/DC converter included with the power storage adapter.
In any of the disclosed embodiments of the method, the PSA port may be a USB Type-C port.
For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and its features and advantages, reference is now made to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
In the following description, details are set forth by way of example to facilitate discussion of the disclosed subject matter. It should be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the field, however, that the disclosed embodiments are exemplary and not exhaustive of all possible embodiments.
As used herein, a hyphenated form of a reference numeral refers to a specific instance of an element and the un-hyphenated form of the reference numeral refers to the collective or generic element. Thus, for example, widget “72-1” refers to an instance of a widget class, which may be referred to collectively as widgets “72” and any one of which may be referred to generically as a widget “72”.
For the purposes of this disclosure, an information handling system may include an instrumentality or aggregate of instrumentalities operable to compute, classify, process, transmit, receive, retrieve, originate, switch, store, display, manifest, detect, record, reproduce, handle, or utilize various forms of information, intelligence, or data for business, scientific, control, entertainment, or other purposes. For example, an information handling system may be a personal computer, a PDA, a consumer electronic device, a network storage device, or another suitable device and may vary in size, shape, performance, functionality, and price. The information handling system may include memory, one or more processing resources such as a central processing unit (CPU) or hardware or software control logic. Additional components or the information handling system may include one or more storage devices, one or more communications ports for communicating with external devices as well as various input and output (I/O) devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a video display. The information handling system may also include one or more buses operable to transmit communication between the various hardware components.
For the purposes of this disclosure, computer-readable media may include an instrumentality or aggregation of instrumentalities that may retain data and instructions for a period of time. Computer-readable media may include, without limitation, storage media such as a direct access storage device (e.g., a hard disk drive or floppy disk), a sequential access storage device (e.g., a tape disk drive), compact disk, CD-ROM, DVD, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), and flash memory (SSD); as well as communications media such wires, optical fibers, microwaves, radio waves, and other electromagnetic or optical carriers; or any combination of the foregoing.
Particular embodiments are best understood by reference to
Turning now to the drawings,
As shown in
As depicted in
In
Also in
In
In
In information handling system 100, I/O subsystem 140 may comprise a system, device, or apparatus generally operable to receive and transmit data to or from or within information handling system 100. I/O subsystem 140 may represent, for example, a variety of communication interfaces, graphics interfaces, video interfaces, user input interfaces, and peripheral interfaces. In various embodiments, I/O subsystem 140 may be used to support various peripheral devices, such as a touch panel, a display adapter, a keyboard, an accelerometer, a touch pad, a gyroscope, or a camera, among other examples. In some implementations, I/O subsystem 140 may support so-called ‘plug and play’ connectivity to external devices, in which the external devices may be added or removed while portable information handling system 100 is operating.
Also shown in
In some embodiments, EC firmware 186 may include pre-boot instructions executable by EC processor 182. For example, EC firmware 186 may be operable to prepare information handling system 100 to boot by activating various hardware components in preparation of launching an operating system for execution. Accordingly, in some embodiments, EC firmware 186 may include a basic input/output system (BIOS). In certain embodiments, EC firmware 186 includes a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) according to a specification promulgated by the UEFI Forum (uefi.org). Embedded controller 180 may execute EC firmware 186 on EC processor 182 even when other components in information handling system 100 are inoperable or are powered down. Furthermore, EC firmware 186 may be in control of EC communication interface(s) 188, which may represent one or more input/output interfaces or signals that embedded controller 180 can use to communicate with other elements of information handling system 100, such as processor subsystem 120 or I/O subsystem 140, among others.
Also shown within embedded controller 180 is power control 148, which may be responsible for managing electrical power connections between power storage adapter 172, internal BMU 170-1, and to portable information handling system 100. In some embodiments, power control 148 may be implemented as a separate controller external to embedded controller 180. For example, when variable power bus 142 supplies electrical power to portable information handling system 100, power control 148 may determine whether the electrical power is used to charge internal battery 171 or to directly power portable information handling system 100. Power control 148 may also manage so-called ‘soft start up’ of portable information handling system 100, such as when portable information handling system 100 awakes from a low power state, such as sleep mode, by determining a source of power during the low power state and managing operation of portable information handling system 100 during the low power state. Power control 148 may accordingly route electrical power and communicate with internal BMU 170-1 via DC power and control 144, which may represent suitable connections between embedded controller 180 and internal BMU 170-1, for example. It is noted that in some embodiments, at least certain portions of power control 148 may be implemented using EC firmware 186, such as specialized executable instructions for power management and control.
In particular embodiments, embedded controller 180 may support a variable power bus 142, which may represent a data bus that also carries and distributes electrical power to and from portable information handling system 100. In various embodiments, variable power bus 142 supports different levels of direct-current (DC) power that may be provided to certain peripherals connected to I/O subsystem 140. In particular embodiments, variable power bus 142 may be used to receive DC power from an external source, such as a power storage adapter 172. For example, the DC power received from the external source may be routed via DC power connection 144 to internal BMU 170-1 for purposes of charging internal battery 171 or otherwise powering portable information handling system 100.
In certain embodiments, variable power bus 142 is implemented according to an industry standard, such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB), which is developed and supported by the USB Implementers Forum, Inc. (USB IF, www.usb.org). In particular, variable power bus 142 may be implemented as a USB Type-C bus that may support different USB devices, such as USB Type-C devices with USB Type-C connectors. Accordingly, variable power bus 142 may support device detection, interface configuration, communication, and power delivery mechanisms according to the USB Type-C standard. The USB Type-C connector system allows the transport of data and electrical power (in the form of DC power) between various USB devices that are connected using USB Type-C ports and USB Type-C connectors. A USB device may be an information handling system, a peripheral device, a power device, among other types of USB devices, and may support more than one USB standard or generation, such as USB 1.0, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, USB 3.1, or other versions. Furthermore, USB devices may also support one or more types of physical USB ports and corresponding connectors (i.e., receptacles and plugs), such as Type-A, Type-A SuperSpeed, Type-B, Type-B SuperSpeed, Mini-A, Mini-B, Micro-A, Micro-B, Micro-B SuperSpeed, and Type-C (also referred to as USB Type-C herein), among other variants. In one example, USB 3.1 Type-C cables may provide electronic functionality using an integrated semiconductor device with an identification function based on a configuration data channel and vendor-defined messages (VDMs) from a USB Power Delivery specification published by USB IF (http://www.usb.org/developers/powerdelivery/). Examples of source power rules governed by the USB Power Delivery Specification, revision 2.0, version 1.2 are given in Table 1 below.
TABLE 1
USB Power Delivery revision 2.0, version 1.2 source power rules.
Source Output
Current [A] at
Current [A] at
Current [A] at
Current [A] at
Power [W]
+5 V DC
+9 V DC
+15 V DC
+20 V DC
0.5 to 15
0.1 to 3.0
none
none
none
15 to 27
3.0 (15 W limit)
1.7 to 3.0
none
none
27 to 45
3.0 (15 W limit)
3.0 (27 W limit)
1.8 to 3.0
none
45 to 60
3.0 (15 W limit)
3.0 (27 W limit)
3.0 (45 W limit)
2.25 to 3.0
60 to 100
3.0 (15 W limit)
3.0 (27 W limit)
3.0 (45 W limit)
3.0 to 5.0
As shown in Table 1, USB Power Delivery defines four standardized voltage levels (+5V DC, +9V DC, +15V DC, and +20V DC), while power supplies may provide electrical power from 0.5 W to 100 W.
A USB device, such as a USB Type-C device, may provide multiple power ports that can individually transfer power in either direction and may accordingly be able to operate as a power source device, a power sink device, or both (dual-role power device). A USB device operating as a dual-role power device may operate as a power source or a power sink depending on what kinds of other USB devices are connected. In addition, each of the multiple power ports provided by the USB device may be a dual-role power port that is able to operate as either a power source port or a power sink port. For example, a USB Type-C bus, such as variable power bus 142, may support power delivery from a power source port of a power source USB device to a power sink port of a power sink USB device, while simultaneously supporting bidirectional USB data transport. The power source port of the power source USB device and the power sink port of the power sink USB device form a power port pair. Each of the other power ports provided by the USB device may form other power port pairs of other USB dual-role power devices.
According to the USB Power Delivery Specification, USB Type-C devices may perform a negotiation process to negotiate and establish a power contract for a particular power port pair that specifies a level of DC power that is transferred using USB. For example, a USB Type-C device may negotiate a power contract with another USB device for a level of DC power that is supported by a power port pair of both devices, where one power port is a power source port of the USB Type-C device and the other power port is a power sink port of the other USB device. The power contract for power delivery and consumption may represent an agreement reached between the power source device and the power sink device for the power port pair. While operating in Power Delivery mode, the power contract for the power port pair will generally remain in effect unless altered by a re-negotiation process, a USB soft reset, a USB hard reset, a removal of power by a power source, a failure of the power source, or a USB role swap (such as between power source and power sink devices), as specified in detail by USB IF. When a particular power contract is in place, additional power contracts can be established between another power port of the power source device and a power port of another power sink device.
According to the USB Power Delivery specification, the negotiation process may begin with the power source device detecting an attachment of a USB device operating as a power sink to a power port of the power source device. In response to the detection of the attachment at the respective USB ports, the power source device may communicate a set of supported capabilities including power levels, voltage levels, current levels, and direction of power flow of the power port of the power source device by sending the set of supported capabilities to the power sink over the USB connection. In response to receiving the set of supported capabilities, the power sink device may request one of the communicated capabilities by sending a request message to the power source device. In response to receiving the request message, the power source device may accept the request by sending an accept message and by establishing a power source output corresponding to the request. The power contract for the power port pair may be considered established and in effect when the power source device sends the accept message to the power sink device, which ends the negotiation process. A re-negotiation process may occur in a similar manner when a power contract is already in effect.
During the negotiation process, a power sink USB device that may be unable to fully operate at any of the communicated capabilities may request a default capability but indicate that the power sink USB device would prefer another power level. In response to receiving the default capability request, the power source device may accept the default capability request by storing the power sink USB device's preferred power level, sending an accept message, and by establishing a power source output corresponding to the default capability request.
During the various negotiation processes described above for USB Power Delivery, the negotiation may fail when a request is not accepted, and may result in no power contract being established. For example, the power sink USB device and the power source USB device may have timeouts for pending requests, or other communications, to a respective counterparty. When a counterparty does not respond within the timeout, a pending request or other communication may fail. It is also noted that in some embodiments, a power delivery contract for zero electrical power may be established, such that no power is transferred but the power port pair remains connected over the USB connection.
As illustrated in
As used herein, “top-of-charge voltage” (or “TOC” voltage) refers to a voltage threshold used during a charge cycle of a battery to determine a 100% charge level. It is noted that the top-of-charge voltage set on a given battery may be lower than a “maximum charge voltage”, which may specify a maximum voltage that a given battery having a given battery chemistry can safely endure during charging without damage. As used herein, the terms “state of charge”, “SOC”, or “charge level” refer to an actual charge level of a battery, from 0% to 100%, for example, based on the currently applied top-of-charge voltage. The SOC may be correlated to an actual voltage level of the battery, for example, depending on a particular battery chemistry.
In some embodiments, a battery (such as internal battery 171 or PSA battery 174 illustrated in
In various embodiments, a battery (such as internal battery 171 or PSA battery 174 illustrated in
As shown in
In various embodiments, each of internal battery 171 or PSA battery 174 may include at least certain portions of a main power circuit across positive and negative terminals, a current sensor, a voltage sensor, one or more battery cells, a fuse, and a power switch (not shown). The current sensor may represent a shunt resistor, or other current sensing element, over which a voltage that is directly proportional to the current flowing through the main power circuit is measured. The battery cells may store and output electrical energy based on a given electrochemical composition internal to the battery cells. The voltage sensor may enable voltage measurement of individual battery cells, or measurement of an aggregate voltage for the battery including all battery cells operating together. The temperature sensor may be located in proximity to the battery cells to provide an accurate indication of a temperature within the battery. The fuse may be a safety element for limiting current flowing through the main power circuit. The power switch may be an electronically controlled switching element that closes or opens the main power circuit, and thereby allows the battery to operate for charging or discharging.
In
In some embodiments, parameters monitored by a BMU 170 may include a charging current, a voltage, and a temperature associated with a battery. More specifically, the parameters monitored by the BMU 170 may include any or all of the cell configuration and chemistry of battery cells within the battery, the total voltage of the battery, the voltages of individual battery cells, minimum or maximum cell voltages, the average temperature of the battery as a whole, the temperatures of individual battery cells, the SOC of the battery, the depth of discharge of the battery, the current flowing into the battery, the current flowing out of the battery, and any other measurement of the overall condition of the battery, in various embodiments. In some embodiments, monitoring the SOC may include continuous or periodic monitoring of battery output current, voltage, or both. In some cases, Coulomb counting, in which the charge delivered or stored by a battery is tracked, is used for battery monitoring. In some embodiments, a battery temperature may be monitored through the use of periodic voltage measurements, a thermometer, or any other method to detect or correct for variations in temperature. In some embodiments, at least some of the parameters monitored by BMU 170 may be used internally by BMU 170 for internal battery management operations. In some embodiments, at least some of the parameters monitored by BMU 170 may be provided to another device, such as information associated with PSA battery 174 that is provided to or obtained by PSA BMU 170-2 on power storage adapter 172, and which may be provided to portable information handling system 100 over variable power bus 142.
In some embodiments, BMU 170 may calculate additional values, based on the monitored battery parameters or other information obtained from a battery, for example, in order to make decisions related to the charging and operation of the battery. For example, BMU 170 may calculate any or all of a charge current limit (CCL), a discharge current limit (DCL), a total amount of energy delivered, an amount of energy delivered since the last charge, an amount of charge delivered or stored, a number of charging cycles, a total operating time, and an operating time since the last charge. In some embodiments, BMU 170, or another component of portable information handling system 100 or power storage adapter 172, may analyze and compare monitored parameter values to historic values or predicted models relative to an SOC of the battery, and may calculate the remaining battery life. Remaining battery life may refer to a duration or a fraction of a time period remaining that a battery may safely provide electrical power, an amount or a fraction of a voltage drop remaining over which a battery may safely provide electrical power, or an amount or fraction of a discharge capacity remaining that a battery may safely provide electrical power. Based on the obtained and calculated values, BMU 170 may detect various alert conditions associated with a battery, conditions such as battery charge full, battery charge empty, battery charging, battery discharging, battery over temperature, battery over current, other battery system status conditions, or various combinations thereof. In some embodiments, information indicating an alert condition for PSA battery 174 that is detected by PSA BMU 170-2 on power storage adapter 172 may be provided to portable information handling system 100 over variable power bus 142.
In various embodiments, BMU 170 may further include a DC boost converter (see
In some embodiments, embedded controller 180 may implement a voltage control module that senses the current drawn by an electrical load and provides a control signal to BMU 170-1 based on the current drawn by the electrical load. For example, the voltage control module may be implemented as executable code stored by EC memory 184, while the electrical load may be information handling system 100, or portions thereof. It may be advantageous, for example, to provide a higher voltage to the electrical load in order to minimize the power dissipated by losses incurred in transmitting current from internal battery 171 to the electrical load. In another embodiment, the voltage control module may provide control signals in response to a voltage set signal. The voltage set signal may instruct the voltage control module to control BMU 170-1 to produce a particular voltage at the load. For example, the particular voltage level may allow the load to operate in a desired mode of operation. In one embodiment, the particular voltage level indicated by the voltage set signal may be higher than the voltage output by cells within a battery. BMU 170-1 may boost the voltage output by the cells to the voltage indicated by the voltage set signal.
For example, in some embodiments, a battery (such as internal battery 171 or PSA battery 174 illustrated in
In certain embodiments, BMU 170 may include a processor and memory (not shown). The memory may store instructions executable by the processor to perform one or more of the methods described herein for obtaining and calculating values related to the operation and charging of a battery and for controlling the operation and charging of the battery. The memory may also store data, obtained and calculated values, thresholds, and parameters related to the methods described herein.
In
As will be described in further detail herein, in operation, power storage adapter 172 may be connected to AC line power 146 source and connected to portable information handling system 100, which may be supplying electrical power from AC line power 146 source to portable information handling system 100. Portable information handling system 100 may receive an indication of a peak shift specifying that portable information handling system 100 is to reduce electrical power consumption by ceasing to draw electrical power from an external AC line power source and switching to draw electrical power from internal battery 171. The indication of the peak shift may also specify a duration of time of the peak shift, the time of day the peak shift is to occur, a repetition count and repetition interval, e.g. during a time of day where there is high power demand or the peak shift is to be repeated every day during a particular time of day and the like, which may allow power storage adapter 172 to enter peak shift operation without waiting to receive an indication of a peak shift from portable information handling system 100 or from a network that may be connected to portable information handling system 100. This may allow power storage adapter 172 to enter peak shift operation when portable information handling system 100 may not support peak shift. In one or more embodiments, the indication of the peak shift may be a peak shift network command received from a network, such as the internet or a system network that may be connected to portable information handling system 100. In one or more embodiments, the indication of the peak shift may be a peak shift command received from portable information handling system 100. After the peak shift begins, portable information handling system 100 will draw electrical power from internal battery 171 until the peak shift ends. At that time, portable information handling system 100 may resume drawing electrical power from the external AC line power source. However, under certain conditions, power storage adapter 172 may not receive the indication of the peak shift and may continue to draw electrical power from AC line power 146 source to power one or more of its internal components, e.g. an external display element such as a light emitting diode (LED) device included with power storage adapter 172 indicating whether the PSA is powered on, even though portable information handling system 100 may only be drawing its electrical power from internal battery 171. Thus, power storage adapter 172 may continue to consume low levels of electrical power, e.g. 30 to 70 milliwatts, from AC line power 146 source, which would not reduce its electrical power consumption.
Therefore, when power storage adapter 172, using peak shift operation method, is receiving electrical power from AC line power 146 source and is connected to portable information handling system 100, power storage adapter 172 may, in conjunction with portable information handling system 100, receive an indication of a peak shift associated with AC line power 146 source, electrically disconnect AC line power 146 source from power storage adapter 172 and use PSA battery 174 to supply its electrical power instead. Power storage adapter 172 may send a peak shift operation message to portable information handling system 100 so that portable information handling system 100 knows that power storage adapter 172 is operating in a peak shift compliant manner. In one or more embodiments, portable information handling system 100 may not electrically disconnect power storage adapter 172 from portable information handling system 100 when it receives an indication of peak shift so that it may still draw electrical power from power storage adapter 172 as if it were still on a form of AC, which may extend system run time and have more capability. Further details of power storage adapter 172 using a low standby power method are described below.
Referring now to
In
As shown in
As shown in
The functionality and implementation details of certain elements in power storage adapter 172, such as AC-DC converter 176, PSA battery 174, PSA BMU 170-2, and DC-DC converter 178, are described above with respect to
As shown, VPB controller 240 may include power distributor 242, which may represent various electronic components that enable distribution of DC power with respect to variable power bus 142 via ports 230. Specifically, power distributor 242 may receive at least one DC power input from DC-DC converter 178. Power distributor 242 may route or switch power connections to respective ports 230, for example, to enable fulfillment of a power contract, as described above. A power contract established by VPB controller 240, such as according to a USB Power Delivery Specification, may govern the supply of DC power to portable information handling system 100 via port 230-1. VPB controller 240 may also establish another power contract to supply DC power to another device coupled to port 230-2. In some embodiments, VPB controller 240 supplies DC power to both port 230-1 and port 230-2. Power distributor 242 may supply different DC voltages for output power at different ports 230. In particular embodiments, power distributor 242 supplies a different DC voltage to port 230-1 than to port 230-2.
In
In the illustrated embodiment, charging unit 246 of BMU 170-2 may draw electrical power from AC-DC converter 176, and may, in turn output a charging voltage and charging current suitable to charge the cells of PSA battery 174. The charging voltage and the charging current demands of the battery may be dependent on an electrochemistry or a cell configuration of the battery cells. The charging of the battery may be limited by the current supply capability of the DC source. In some embodiments, the DC source may be AC-DC converter 176. Once the battery reaches 100% state of charge, BMU 170-2 may stop drawing current from the AC-DC converter 176. When a boost source of power is desired, charging unit 246 may also be enabled to supply electrical from PSA battery 174, which is then boosted to a desired output voltage by DC boost converter 248.
In some embodiments, portable information handling system 100 may communicate with power storage adapter 172 to instruct PSA BMU 170-2 to charge the battery cells of PSA battery 174. As previously noted, PSA BMU 170-2 may send information to portable information handling system 100, such as the cell configuration, the state of charge of the battery, or other information. Portable information handling system 100 may communicate with PSA BMU 170-2 using a system management bus (not shown), for example System Management Bus (SMBus) promulgated by SBS Implementers Forum (www.smbus.org), in some embodiments.
In operation for a peak shift operation method, PSA controller 221 may determine that power storage adapter 172 may be connected to AC line power 146 source and drawing electrical power from that power source. PSA controller 221 may be connected to portable information handling system 100, which may be supplying electrical power from AC line power 146 source to portable information handling system 100. Portable information handling system 100 may receive an indication of a peak shift specifying that portable information handling system 100 is to reduce electrical power consumption by ceasing to draw electrical power from an external AC line power source and switching to draw electrical power from internal battery 171. After the peak shift begins, portable information handling system 100 will draw electrical power from internal battery 171 until the peak shift ends. However, under certain conditions, power storage adapter 172 may not receive the indication of the peak shift and may continue to draw electrical power from AC line power 146 source to power one or more of its internal components, e.g. an external display element such as a light emitting diode (LED) device included with power storage adapter 172 indicating whether the PSA is powered on. Thus, power storage adapter 172 may continue to consume low levels of electrical power, e.g. 30 to 70 milliwatts, from AC line power 146 source, which would not reduce its electrical power consumption.
Therefore, when power storage adapter 172 is using peak shift operation method, PSA controller 221 may receive an indication of a peak shift associated with AC line power 146 source, the indication specifying that power storage adapter 172 may cease drawing electrical power from AC line power 146 source. The indication may be a peak shift message from embedded controller 180 of portable information handling system 100 coupled to PSA port 230-1 of power storage adapter 172. PSA controller 221 may monitor a state of charge of PSA battery 174. PSA controller 221 may determine whether the monitored state of charge of PSA battery 174 is greater than a recharging state of charge. When the state of charge of PSA battery 174 is greater than a recharging state of charge, PSA battery 174 may be an available power source. In response to the indication of the peak shift mode, that power storage adapter 174 is electrically connected to AC line power 146 source, and PSA battery 174 is an available power source, PSA controller 221 may electrically disconnect power storage adapter 174 from AC line power 146 source and begin supplying electrical power from PSA battery 174 to portable information handling system 100 coupled via PSA port 230-1.
Also shown in
Referring now to
In power supply adapter state machine 400, states 402 represent certain power states of power storage adapter 172 when connected to AC line power 146 and connected to portable information handling system 100 using PSA port 230-1. PSA port 230-1 may be a USB Type-C port. Prior to state 402-1, in some embodiments, power storage adapter 172 may establish a power delivery contract with portable information handling system 100 for a nominal amount of power, such as 30 Watts, in one example, as previously described with respect to
From state 402-1, PSA controller 221 may receive an indication of a peak shift associated with AC line power 146 of power storage adapter 146, the indication specifying that power storage adapter 172 may cease drawing electrical power from the AC line power source. In one or more embodiments, the indication may be a peak shift message from embedded controller 180 of portable information handling system 100 coupled to PSA port 230-1 of power storage adapter 172. In some embodiments, the indication may be a peak shift message from an entity associated with AC line power 146, and the peak shift message may be received using an Ethernet port coupled to PSA port 230-2 of power storage adapter 172. In one or more embodiments, power storage adapter 172 may have already established a particular time of day, a particular duration of time, a particular repetition count and interval, that power storage 172 may enter peak shift operation from a previously received indication of a peak shift associated with AC line power 146 of power storage adapter 146, which may allow power storage adapter 172 to enter peak shift operation directly without receiving other indications of a peak shift. From state 402-1, PSA controller 221 may monitor a state of charge of PSA battery 174, which may be performed by BMU 170, as previously described. From state 402-2, PSA controller 221 may determine whether the SOC of PSA battery 174 is greater than a recharging state of charge, which may be a SOC of about 90% for example. From state 402-2, in response to the indication, the determination that the SOC of PSA battery 174 is greater than a recharging state of charge, and when the power storage adapter is electrically connected to the AC line power source, PSA controller 221 may electrically disconnect power storage adapter 172 from AC line power 174, at action 404-1, PSA controller 221 may begin supplying electrical power to portable information handling system 100 using PSA battery 174 and enter state 402-2. In some embodiments, PSA controller 221 may electrically disconnect a DC output from AC/DC converter 176 to electrically disconnect power storage adapter 172 from AC line power 146. In certain embodiments, PSA controller 221 may power off AC/DC converter 176 to electrically disconnect power storage adapter 172 from AC line power 146. By entering state 402-2 from state 402-1, the peak shift operation to cease drawing electrical power from AC line power 146 has been completed.
From state 402-2, PSA controller 221 may receive a second indication of termination of the peak shift. From state 402-2, PSA controller 221 may determine whether power storage adapter 172 is connected to AC line power 146. In response to the second indication and the determination that power storage adapter 172 is connected to AC line power 146, PSA controller 221 may electrically connect power storage adapter 172 to AC line power 146, at action 406-1, PSA controller 221 may begin supplying electrical power to portable information handling system 100 using AC line power 146 and re-enter state 402-1. By entering state 402-1 from state 402-2, the peak shift operation to terminate the peak shift has been completed. In one or more embodiments, the second indication may be received by PSA controller 221 from embedded controller 180 of portable information handling system 100 coupled to PSA port 230-1.
In one or more embodiments, the indication may further specify a duration of time of the peak shift. For example, the indication may indicate that power storage adapter 172 is to go into peak shift mode for the next four hours during a time of day where there is high power demand. From state 402-2, PSA controller 221 may, in response to determining that the duration of time of the peak shift has been reached and that power storage adapter 172 is connected to AC line power 146, PSA controller 221 may electrically connect power storage adapter 172 to AC line power 146, at action 406-2, PSA controller 221 may begin supplying electrical power to portable information handling system 100 using AC line power 146 and re-enter state 402-1.
In one or more embodiments, from state 402-2, PSA controller 221 may monitor the SOC of PSA battery 174. From state 402-2, PSA controller 221 may determine whether the SOC of PSA battery 174 is less than or equal to the recharging state of charge. From state 402-2, PSA controller 221 may, in response to determining that the state of charge is less than or equal to the recharging state of charge and that power storage adapter 172 is connected to AC line power 146, electrically connect power storage adapter 172 to AC line power 146, at action 406-3, PSA controller 221 may begin recharging PSA battery 174 from AC line power 146 and re-enter state 402-1.
In one or more embodiments, from state 402-1, PSA controller 221 may monitor the SOC of PSA battery 174. From state 402-1, PSA controller 221 may determine whether the SOC of PSA battery 174 is greater than the recharging state of charge. From state 402-1, PSA controller 221 may, in response to determining that the state of charge is greater than the recharging state of charge, that PSA controller 221 has received the indication of the peak shift, that PSA controller 221 has not received a second indication of termination of the peak shift, and when the power storage adapter is electrically connected to the AC line power source, electrically disconnect power storage adapter 172 from AC line power 174, at action 404-2, PSA controller 221 may begin supplying electrical power to portable information handling system 100 using PSA battery 174 and re-enter state 402-2.
In one or more embodiments, PSA controller 221 of power storage adapter 172 and embedded controller 180 of portable information handling system 100 may utilize a common protocol layer for communication between each other, where the common protocol layer may be a universal serial bus (USB) power delivery protocol layer.
Referring now to
Method 500 may begin at step 502 by receiving, by PSA controller 221 of power storage adapter 172, an indication of a peak shift associated with AC line power 146 of power storage adapter 172, the indication specifying that power storage adapter 172 may cease drawing electrical power from AC line power 146. The indication in step 502 may be a peak shift message from embedded controller 180 of portable information handling system 100 coupled to PSA port 230-1 of power storage adapter 172. At step 504, determining, by PSA controller 221, that a state of charge (SOC) of PSA battery 174 of power storage adapter 172 may be greater than a recharging state of charge. The determination of the SOC of PSA battery 174 in step 504 may be performed by BMU 170, as previously described. At step 506, in response to the indication and when power storage adapter 172 is electrically connected to AC line power 146, electrically disconnecting, by PSA controller 221, power storage adapter 172 from AC line power 146. Electrically disconnecting power storage adapter 172 from AC line power 146 in step 508 may be accomplished by one of the various methods performed by PSA controller 221, described above.
As disclosed herein, a power storage adapter may use a peak shift operation method when supplying electrical power from an AC line power source to a portable information handling system and the power storage adapter receives an indication of a peak shift associated with the AC line power source. In particular, the power storage adapter may cease drawing power from the AC line power source and begin supplying electrical power from a battery included with the power storage adapter to the portable information handling system.
The above disclosed subject matter is to be considered illustrative, and not restrictive, and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications, enhancements, and other embodiments which fall within the true spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Thus, to the maximum extent allowed by law, the scope of the present disclosure is to be determined by the broadest permissible interpretation of the following claims and their equivalents, and shall not be restricted or limited by the foregoing detailed description.
Sultenfuss, Andrew Thomas, Thompson, Richard Christopher
Patent | Priority | Assignee | Title |
11314311, | Sep 20 2019 | DELL PRODUCTS, L.P. | Battery runtime and performance management based upon presence detection |
11573617, | Jan 25 2019 | DELL PRODUCTS, L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS, L P | Indicator for AC power adapter |
11876439, | Jan 14 2021 | Apple Inc. | Mitigation of battery output voltage ripple under pulse load |
11886273, | Jul 31 2019 | Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.; HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L P | Power source devices for power delivery contract selections |
Patent | Priority | Assignee | Title |
1012876, | |||
1018173, | |||
4672228, | Sep 03 1985 | Pioneer Magnetics, Inc. | Battery backup system for switched power supply |
5598327, | Nov 30 1990 | Burr-Brown Corporation | Planar transformer assembly including non-overlapping primary and secondary windings surrounding a common magnetic flux path area |
5811895, | Aug 12 1994 | LENOVO SINGAPORE PTE LTD | Power supply circuit for use with a battery and an AC power adaptor |
6057609, | May 07 1997 | Sony Corporation | Auxiliary power supply apparatus |
6293700, | Sep 24 1999 | Fluke Corporation | Calibrated isothermal assembly for a thermocouple thermometer |
6477054, | Aug 10 2000 | Tektronix, Inc | Low temperature co-fired ceramic substrate structure having a capacitor and thermally conductive via |
7127228, | Dec 07 2001 | Qisda Corporation | Portable electric device with power failure recovery and operation method thereof |
7243246, | Dec 19 2003 | Dell Products L.P. | System having a power adapter that generates a data signal based on the state of a external power source that is used to manage the power consumption of a CPU |
7536569, | Apr 24 2006 | Dell Products L P | System and method for managing power provided to a portable information handling system |
7538518, | Jul 29 2004 | Dell Products L.P. | Method for detecting a defective charger circuit |
7545120, | Jul 29 2003 | Dell Products L.P. | AC-DC adapter and battery charger integration for portable information handling systems |
7592716, | Jul 29 2003 | Dell Products L.P. | Information handling system including a battery that reduces a voltage fluctuation |
7989981, | Feb 02 2006 | Flextronics AP, LLC | Power adaptor and storage unit for portable devices |
8164904, | Apr 19 2006 | OSRAM Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung | Electronic component module |
8188594, | Sep 29 2008 | Intel Corporation | Input/output package architectures |
9166083, | Sep 09 2010 | Texas Instruments Incorporated | Reducing thermal gradients to improve thermopile performance |
9197092, | Oct 30 2012 | Dell Products L.P. | Battery charge management using usage profiling |
9263912, | Feb 05 2013 | DELL PRODUCTS, L.P. | Mitigating premature wear out of a rechargeable battery |
9300015, | May 04 2010 | Dell Products LP | Systems and methods for monitoring and characterizing information handling system use behavior |
9524018, | Aug 30 2013 | Dell Products, LP | Adaptive integral battery pack and voltage regulator |
9568990, | Oct 16 2008 | Dell Products L.P. | System and method for managing power consumption of an information handling system |
9681558, | Aug 12 2014 | Infineon Technologies AG | Module with integrated power electronic circuitry and logic circuitry |
9693446, | Dec 13 2013 | ENDRESS+HAUSER CONDUCTA GMBH+CO KG | Circuit board with thermal control |
9812878, | Jun 19 2015 | Amazon Technologies, Inc | Dynamic current redistribution for portable electronic devices |
9867275, | Jul 27 2015 | Delta Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. | Modular power supply and method for manufacturing the same |
9887571, | Jun 23 2017 | Dell Products L.P. | Combining power from an internal battery and an external power storage adapter |
20030085626, | |||
20030212923, | |||
20040075418, | |||
20040125618, | |||
20040135565, | |||
20050052164, | |||
20050125709, | |||
20050131645, | |||
20050174094, | |||
20050275383, | |||
20060022637, | |||
20060164038, | |||
20070079153, | |||
20070103110, | |||
20070200433, | |||
20070248877, | |||
20070279004, | |||
20080222431, | |||
20080315826, | |||
20090001937, | |||
20090076661, | |||
20090146826, | |||
20090177906, | |||
20090244944, | |||
20100038963, | |||
20100067197, | |||
20110068626, | |||
20110225073, | |||
20110227407, | |||
20110260681, | |||
20120025630, | |||
20120084575, | |||
20120091815, | |||
20120123604, | |||
20120151240, | |||
20120181990, | |||
20120201062, | |||
20120256484, | |||
20120316695, | |||
20120319656, | |||
20130043827, | |||
20130100568, | |||
20130159792, | |||
20130314039, | |||
20130342011, | |||
20140018969, | |||
20140035380, | |||
20140157065, | |||
20140210267, | |||
20140214223, | |||
20140217958, | |||
20140239882, | |||
20150063473, | |||
20150132615, | |||
20150165917, | |||
20150364921, | |||
20160099608, | |||
20160241148, | |||
20160246316, | |||
20160274607, | |||
20160329612, | |||
20160359426, | |||
20170040815, | |||
20170085098, | |||
20170104330, | |||
20170177069, | |||
20170225586, | |||
20180181171, | |||
20180233914, | |||
20180351399, | |||
20180375358, | |||
20180375359, | |||
20180375360, | |||
20180375361, | |||
20190050037, |
Date | Maintenance Fee Events |
Apr 20 2023 | M1551: Payment of Maintenance Fee, 4th Year, Large Entity. |
Date | Maintenance Schedule |
Nov 12 2022 | 4 years fee payment window open |
May 12 2023 | 6 months grace period start (w surcharge) |
Nov 12 2023 | patent expiry (for year 4) |
Nov 12 2025 | 2 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 4) |
Nov 12 2026 | 8 years fee payment window open |
May 12 2027 | 6 months grace period start (w surcharge) |
Nov 12 2027 | patent expiry (for year 8) |
Nov 12 2029 | 2 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 8) |
Nov 12 2030 | 12 years fee payment window open |
May 12 2031 | 6 months grace period start (w surcharge) |
Nov 12 2031 | patent expiry (for year 12) |
Nov 12 2033 | 2 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 12) |